Check-controlled apparatus.



J. B. KAIGHN.

CHECK CONTROLLED APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 31, 1912.

1,047,651 Patented Dec. 17,1912.

FIG. W-

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON, D. c.

accompanying drawing.

JAMES BARTON KAIGI-IN, or PHILADELBHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

i CHECK-CONTROLLED APPARATUS.

Specification of 'LettersPatent. Patented Dec. 17,1912.

Application filed August 31,1912. Serial No. 717,989. 7

To all whom it may concern.

i. Be it known that I, J Mns BARTON: KAIGHN, of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement 1n Check-Controlled Apparatus, whereof the following is aspecification, reference'being had to the My improvement relates to coin controlled vending machlnes of the-general construction described in Letters Patent of the" United States 957,684: granted to me May 10, 1910, and is particularly applicable to gas meters wherein a rotary coin carrier may be operatively connected by a coin with meter mechanism, which may then be manually set in position to deliver a predetermined quantityof gas, by turning an exterior. handle attached to said carrier. The rotary coin carrier shown in said Letters Patent is in closed in a casing having'a narrow slot at the bottom thereof, extending parallel with the axis of the carrienfor the escape of the coin; said slot being out of vertical alinement with the coin inletslot at the top of said casing so as to prevent the extension of anfimplement inalinement through both slots into the coin receptacle. However, I find that the insertion of an implement may be prevented and other advantages attained by substituting for said narrow slot a wide opening which is only partially obstructed by a projection extending transversely with respect to the axis of the'carrier far enough to prevent insertion of an implement as above contemplated. Suchan opening subst-ituted for the narrow slot of the prior art not only prevents obstruction of the device by candle'grease andsimilar material dropped through the coin slot at the top in endeavors to wrongfully operate the prepayment mechanisnmbut, also prevents ob struction thereof by pennies and other coins smaller than the quarter dollars for which the device is designed, suchsmaller coins be ing permitted to fallthrough said opening aside from saidprojection.. Moreover, said mechanism of the prior art includes exterior stops whereby the rotary movement, of the coin carrier is intended to be limited but which serve to retain candle grease or other obstructing matter dropped thereon and thus prevent proper operation of the carrier.

Therefore, I find itadvantageous to substitute interior stop mechanism for such exterior stops of the prior 'art, and, the present invention provides such interior stop mechanism.

My invention includes the various novel features of construction and arrangement hereinafter more definitely specified.

I In the drawings :Figure I is a front elevation of the casing forthe rotary coin car-M, V rier. Fig. II is a rear elevation ofsaid cas- 11 ing show-n in Fig. I. Fig. III is apvertical sectional .view taken on the line III, III in Fig. I. Fig. IV is an inverted plan View of said casing.

of the coin carrier. p

In. saidfigures; the coin carrier casing 1 comprises the plate 2 having thehook lug 3 t Fig. is a rear elevation of the coin carrier. Fig. VI is a front elevation I arranged to detachably engage a bracket in... the gear casing of the prepayment mecha nism which forms no part of the present invention and is omitted from the'drawing.

Said plate has holes't at its lower corners f i for screws which engage said gear, casing so that said coin carriercasmg is rigidly but detachably connected withsaid gear casing which is attached to the meter which "the prepayment mechanism is designed to con trol.

Said casing 1 has the internal cylindricalchamber 6 in concentric relation with the bearing 7 at the outer end thereof and the bearing plate 8 at the inner end thereof, said plate 8 being detachablyconnected with said casing by the screws 9 which are en- 7 tered in the sockets 10. Said casing 1 has the coin inlet slot 12 at the top of said chamber 6; said slot being in vertical alinement with the axis of said chamber as shown in i Fig. II. Said chamber 6 has the coin out-let jection 15 extending transversely with respect to-the axis of said chamber and. pro-1 jecting as shown in Fig. IV so asjto under- ,14 at the bottom thereof having the prohangisa-id slot 12 as indicated in Fig. IV.

YIheshaft 18 of thecoin carrier is journaled I in said bearing 7 in concentric relation with said chamber 6 and has the exterior handle 19 whichis rigidly securedthereon by the pin 20, so that said carrier may be manually and, has the circumferential flange 25 which turned. Said carrier has at its innerend the disk 21 provided with two diametrically popposite crank pins 22 adapted to engage a coin, for instance, a quarter of a dollar 24,

supports said coin during the operation of setting the meter mechanism therewith. The crank shaft 28 is ournaled in said bearing plate 8 in concentric relation with said chamber 6 and in axial alinement with said shaft 18 of the coin carrier, and has at its inner end the disk head 29 provided with two diametrically opposite crank pins 30 between which said coin 24 is engaged as indicated in Figs. I and III. Said crank shaft 28 has at its inner end the gear 32 which is operatively connected with mechanism by which the meter valve may be manually opened when said coin carrier is operatively connected with said crank shaft 28 by the coin 24 as above described. In order to prevent accidental turning movement of said crank shaft 28 I find it convenient to provide the same with the collar 33 secured thereon by the pin 34, and interpose between said collar and the bearing plate 8, the triangular plate spring 35 which encircles said shaft 28 and holds said disk head 29 in frictional engagement with the bearing plate 8 so that it may only be turned by manipulation of the handle 19 when said head is connected with the coin carrier by the coin 24.

The coin. inlet 12 through which the coin 24 is deposited in the coin carrier, is provided with means to prevent the wrongful removal or displacement of said coin, including the plate 36 which is eccentrically pivoted upon the alined trunnions 37 journaled in the bearings 38 and 39 respectively in said coin carrier casing 1 and in said plate 8. Said plate 36 being a gate thus interposed in the passageway between said inlet 12 and the coin carrier, fits in the re cess 41 in the flange 25 of the coin carrier, shown in Fig. V; said carrier having the opposite shoulders 42 and 43 arranged to cooperate therewith so that when said carrier is turned to the position shown in the drawing said gate 36 is opened to admit the coin 24 to the position shown in Fig. III. Said carrier must be turned from the position shown in Fig. III, in the directionof the arrow on Fig. I, one-half revolution, to set the meter mechanism and release the coin, and, at the beginning of such movement the gate 36 being shifted by the shoulder 42 pushes the coin away from the slot 12 so that the coin disappears and the gate is closed before the coin is engaged by the pins 22. Said gate remains closed until the car rier is returned to its initial position shown in said figures; said coin being dropped through the opening 14 .into the coin receptacle when disengaged by the pins 22 and unsupported by the flange 25. It .may be observed that the operator cannot catch and retain the coin by the flange 25 because the latter is concentric with the axis of the carrier and merely supports the coin loosely'in the central position until it is engaged by said pins 22. In order to limit the manual movement of said coin carrier I provide said casing 1 with the stop stud 45 projecting into the chamber 6 adjacent the bearing 7 as shown in Figs. II and III, and, I provide the coin carrier with peripheral abutments 47 and 48 adapted to alternately encounter said stop stud 45. It may be observed that said stop stud 45 and the abutments 47 and 48 are not only inclosed in the chamber 6 within the casing 1 but are also disposed aside from the coin inlet 12 so that nothing may be interposed between said stop and abutments to prevent the proper turning movement of the coin carrier.

The operation of the mechanism above described is as follows :The mechanism being in the position shown in the drawing, with the abutment 48 against the stop stud 45, a coin 24 is dropped through the inlet 12 and caught between the crank pins 22 of the coin carrier, being upheld by the semi-annular flange 25 on said carrier. Said carrier being then turned in the direction of the arrows on Figs. I, III and V, the coin carrier closes the coin inlet by movement of said gate 36, and, said crank pins 22 encountering the coin 23 cause the latter to engage the crank pins 30 on the head 29 of the shaft 28 so as to cause the gear 32 to turn and thereby set the meter mechanism to the desired extent, such movement being limited by the shoulder 47 encountering the opposite side of said stop stud 45, in which position the lower edge of the coin is carried past the projection 15 so that it is free to fall into the coin receptacle through the opening 14. Thereupon, the coin having fallen from the carrier, reverse rotary movement of said carrier, by means of the handle 19, does not change the set position of said gear 32 and the mechanism connected therewith, because of the absence of the coin, and, the parts connected with said handle 19 are thus returned to their initial position shown in Fig.

III to receive another coin. It may be observed that as the carrier approaches the limit of its return movement to normal position the shoulder 43, shown in Fig. V, I

in Fig. IV the opening 14 is of such size and shape that such smaller coins are free to fall therein even when disposed more or less diagonally with respect to the axis of the carrier. Moreover, it may be observed that although said flange. 25 ceases to support concentric with said bearing inelosing said signed my name at Philadelphia, Pennsylearrier, having a coin slot at the top thereof Vania, this thirtieth day of August, 1912.

and a 00in discharge opening at the bottom T thereof; and, a stop stud removably secured JAMES BARTON KAIGHB' Within said chamber, adapted to be alter- Witnesses: nately encountered by said abutnients. J OHN BAssLnR,

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto ARNOLD MATZ.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

. Washington, D. G. 

